Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

isabelcsilva This movie is very good, but I think it's a bit disgusting. The actors' work is fantastic. It shows us real problems like domestic and school violence. I always tried to find a way to defend the Ponti because I believed that what he did was to suffer at home. When he became vigilant, this task became much easier.

Vivekmaru45 Having suffered the same bullying during my youth, I can identify myself with Erik's character. The if is based on Jan Guillou's semi-autobiographical novel with the same name.Erik is a man who has been treated as an outcast all his life. At home he is beaten by his step-father, who instead to showing love to his son, sadistically straps him at any small misdemeanor.The beatings that Erik endures, he lashes the feelings out in fights at school. It is during one such fight that he goes overboard and is expelled. In an attempt to provide her son with a fresh start he sorely needs, his mother sells of some of her possessions and sends Erik to a boarding school in Stjärnsberg.While in Stjärnsberg, Erick clashes with the seniors, who are of a ruthless domineering bullying sort. Erik refuses to be subdued by the seniors and it sparks off when he is given the task of cleaning some of the seniors shoes. From then onwards the bullying gets progressively violent till it is time for Erik to use his wits to escape from a second expulsion.What evil men do against their fellow brothers. Jesus said,"But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well". But does this moral apply to this film? I am a pacifist by nature and I do not believe that people need to beat others up when they can coexist peacefully on this beautiful garden of Eden: the planet earth. The direction, photography, script and dialogue is top-notch. I loved Andreas Wilson acting as the fresh-faced youngster Erik. Also Henrik Lundström who plays the intellectual peace-loving Pierre Tanguy, who tries to make Erik keep a low profile and keep out of the seniors path. Mikael Håfström proves that he is a worthy director. I also loved his horror-film 1408 and if you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you do so.

Craig Inzana As a film student, and sort of a film prude it becomes difficult for me to find movies that really spark my interest. I've grown quite tired of the majority of Hollywood films and like to dip into the international buffet of movies once and awhile. This film truly reminded me why I love foreign films. In aspect of the screenplay, it was based off a book written in 1981 that was roughly based on someone's real life experiences with institutionalized violence. The movie has reviews that claim it to be "Fight Club in a boarding school." I couldn't disagree with that statement more. There may be a few resemblances, but this story can't possibly be compared to anything else. It has so many different plot lines that need to be examined by the view themselves. Between Erik and Pierre's friendship, Otto Silverhielm's true evil spirit, or a deep film-noir inspired look at Erik's motives behind his rash behaviors.The story aside, looking at this film purely as a film; it still stands out. The shot selection is purely superb and Mikael Hafstrom deserves to be recognized as an artist. One scene in particular stands out as Silverhielm humiliates Erik in the dining hall. As Erik leaves, and is being alienated from the school itself, there is a long tracking shot following him as he walks out of the dining hall. He is in perfect focus while everyone else in the scene is out of the depth of field. The viewer is taken along with Erik as he takes the uncomfortable and embarrassing walk out of dining hall. This visual language makes the film stand on its own, and allows one to understand what is going on whether or not they have the subtitles turned on.Overall the film is truly a beautiful work of art that reminds myself of why I came to love films in the first place. It is visually stunning and tugs at your heart strings while making you think about morality and motivations. In my book, it's a must see.

M A This is a heart-wrenching movie that puts human conscience to the test. At some points of the movie, I thought of stopping it being unable to take it anymore. It makes me think how evil human behaviour can get and sets me thinking whether the events in the movie do happen in real life.What else can be more evil than a mother who does nothing to stop his son from being brutally abused pretending nothing has happened just to maintain her stupid marriage? What else can be more evil than the people who are supposed to be the most respected in society and occupy the moral high ground but indeed sanction the worst form of human abuse and torture pretending that they have seen nothing? I think it is a multi-dimensional movie, about human hypocrisy and parenting, with deeper messages beneath. After watching the movie, I am definitely convinced that the mother is the most evil of all the demons in this film who makes me puke. I am afraid the corollary of growing up in this kind of evil environment is the naturalisation of an innocent soul into yet another human evil, and that in real life there are not many people as firm and steadfast as Erik Ponti.